Help with PHP.ini?

Hello all -

I have several websites hosted with GoDaddy. On Tuesday I upgraded to the Business/Launch hosting. Wednesday all was fine and then today, half of my sites are down. When I try to go to WP Admin, I get a 404 error. Strangely, it seems that any site created less than a month ago is fine.

After a long call with GoDaddy, the rep told me that there was a bad config file on one of the 8 or so sites that is down. He said to check the php.ini file and htaccess.ini(?) file.s and disable (rename) them one by one until the issue is resolved. I thought I knew what he meant, but I was so, so wrong.

I've managed to figure out how to locate the php.ini file, but I can't access it to rename it. I tried uploading a new file, but that didn't help. Also, I can't actually upload it to where the original php.ini file is...

At this point, I very well could be doing this wrong, or it could be the issue is on another site. I have no idea. For reference, one of the sites that is not working: http://testsite01.seounpacked.com/wp-admin (if you just go to the site, you'll see the equivalent of maintenance mode).

Re: Help with PHP.ini?

Update: now that I have changed file names on a bunch of files, uninstalled Wordpress on multiple sites, and spent hours trying to figure out what is wrong, a GoDaddy rep is saying that this is all because I upgraded my hosting 2 days ago. I should just wait 12-36 hours more.

No explanation as to why I was not informed my sites would go down or why I was sent on a wild goose chase changing files. I've repeatedly requested a supervisor but that's not happening.

This has already cost me significant business and just waiting and hoping they got it right this time seems unwise. I'll update if/when things change. In the meantime, if anyone has experienced something similar, I would greatly appreciate the insight.

Re: Help with PHP.ini?

Hi @joshpluslizz. Thanks for being part of GoDaddy Community! Sorry to hear you've had such difficulty. It looks like you've been able to resolve this issue. The login screen appears for me when I visit the URL you provided. If support is suggesting that you wait, perhaps there was an issue with the DNS for your domains? That can sometimes happen when moving from one server to another. Hopefully everything is working well for you now.

JesseW - GoDaddy | Community Manager | 24/7 support available at x.co/247support | Remember to choose a solution and give kudos.

Re: Help with PHP.ini?

Jesse - thank you for following up. Sorry for not updating! The short answer is that this is resolved now, but not because of any of the reps I mentioned above.

After waiting until the next day and still seeing no change, I called in. I spoke with Joshua and he was extremely helpful at getting the problem fixed. The others had balked when I questioned the logic in some of their answers, but his answers actually made sense, and he was willing to explain the things I didn't quite get. Turns out it was something to do with the hosting, but no need to wait. It was obvious when we looked at the DNS that it was updated for some sites and not for others. Once I updated the sites that had the old DNS record, my sites were live within minutes.

I now understand why the sites went down and if I upgrade again I will watch for this. But it would be really helpful if there were some sort of disclaimer in the upgrading process to set realistic expectations and warn people like me to maybe not make a change like that in the middle of a high traffic time.

Aside from the impact this ordeal had on our business, it greatly impacted my perception of GoDaddy, and not in a great way. In chat, I got the impression that they were inconvenienced and giving me the quickest pat answer to get rid of me. This isn't the first time I've encountered this and it's a recurring complaint I hear from others. Whereas the person I spoke with on the phone was knowledgeable without being condescending and he seemed to genuinely want to help . When I refer others to GoDaddy, it is because of people like that. Unfortunately, reps like those in the chat can (and nearly did) drive someone away before they ever get to one of the better guys.

Re: Help with PHP.ini?

Thanks for following up @joshpluslizz. Really glad to hear you were able to get this sorted out with support. We appreciate your feedback on what went well and what could be better. I'll make sure to get this passed on. Thanks again!

JesseW - GoDaddy | Community Manager | 24/7 support available at x.co/247support | Remember to choose a solution and give kudos.